The prospect of Internet-based lottery games sponsored by state (or other governmental agencies) is generating significant interest in the gaming industry. Internet-based gaming is, however, fraught with issues such as age and residency verification of players, collection of wager fees, redemption of winning plays, Internet security, and so forth. In addition, the sale of traditional online and instant lottery tickets is a significant source of income for authorized lottery retailers, who may perceive an increase in Internet lottery gaming as a threat to their business and role in traditional state lotteries.
Player perceptions and possible initial apprehension of Internet-based lotteries are also concerns. For example, the market in the United States alone for state-sponsored instant (“scratch-off”) lottery tickets is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars. Whether or not the players of these conventional lottery tickets will readily accept and quickly transition to a purely network-based system is an open question. Even the loss of a relatively small percentage of players can have a significant economic impact.
Some initial endeavors into various aspects of Internet-based lotteries have been made. For example, GTECH Corporation of Providence, R.I., USA, offers a “Renaissance Program” in the state of Illinois wherein a General Purpose Reloadable (GPR) debit card is issued free of charge to identified players, who may then load money on the card (e.g., via credit or debit card) and use the card for Internet lottery game purchases. This program, however, effectively bypasses the traditional lottery retailer.
Other aspects of Internet-based lotteries are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,026; U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,446; U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,358; U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,529; U.S. Pat. No. 6,383,078; U.S. Pat. No. 7,946,913.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,082 and the related U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,603 each describe a method and system for on-line play of a game wherein the player acquires a “destiny code” on a game medium (which may be paper). The destiny code stores the outcome of a particular game of chance, as well as other data that may assist in playing the game. The player may enter the destiny code on their home computer of other type of on-line service device to access and play the game via an on-line service system. After verification of the code, the predetermined outcome of the game is presented to the player via an entertaining and interactive game.
The present invention offers an Internet-based lottery game system and method that addresses some of the major concerns noted above.